Symplectomorphisms and discrete braid invariants

Area and orientation preserving diffeomorphisms of the standard 2-disc, referred to as symplectomorphisms of D², allow decompositions in terms of positive twist diffeomorphisms. Using the latter decomposition, we utilize the Conley index theory of discrete braid classes as introduced in Ghrist et al. (Invent. Math. 152:369–432, 2003) and Ghrist et al. (C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Sér. I Math. 331:861–865, 2000) to obtain a Morse type forcing theory of periodic points: a priori information about periodic points determines a mapping class which may force additional periodic points.